Need Treatment Advice Pronto

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I'm Stage 3c and about to decide on treatment. I'm currently NED after WLE and lymph node dissection. I'm considering 1 month of HD Interferon or a clinical trial of ipi versus placebo. I know the clinical trial is a gamble, but there seems to be more success with ipi (if Iget it) than Interferon. I know alot of people have had success with Interferon staying away for awhile, so I'm really torn. My oncologist doesn't seem to have any answers for me. Everytime I suggest something, he seems to not be thrilled with the limited success of certain drugs. Keep in mind he's a melanoma scientist, so he's all about the science and doesn't see Interferon as a good option for me. Apparently in Canada, we don't do Interluken or Biochem anymore, so what choice do I have at this point? He does like ipi and said I should do the trial, but with Interferon, I know I'm getting something.

I feel I would drop out of the trial if I didn't get an autoimmune response even though I know it's not fair for the trial. I had a deep primary, so I feel I need to do whatever I can to keep this from coming back as long as I can. What is the cutoff to do Interferon after surgery?

Currently, I'm taking a holistic approach and trying to make my immune system as strong as I can. It may not help, but building a stronger body can't hurt.

Any advice, experience with trials, etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Lisa

Many impossible things have been accomplished for those who refuse to quit

I just responded to you on MNC. But I just wanted to tell you that, to the best of my knowledge, IL-2 is available in Canada, as it was offered to me before I signed on with the ipi trial. Email me if you like.

Sharyn, I could be wrong, (please correct me if I am) but from what I have gathered, many doctors in Canada do not favor the use of IL-2, and IL-2 is only available through one hospital in Canada-Montreal Jewish General Hospital for kidney cancer or melanoma. If memory serves, you are or have been seen by them.

I also believe Lisa can appeal if denied.

Would she be able to use it for stage III though?

Michael

This information is for general patient educational & information purposes only. It should not be used for diagnosing/treating a health problem or disease. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your healthcare provider.

Interferon is approved for use within 56 days (8 weeks) after surgery in the U.S. I believe that is the same for Canada as well.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Michael

This information is for general patient educational & information purposes only. It should not be used for diagnosing/treating a health problem or disease. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your healthcare provider.

Some oncs do not seem to be in favour of IL-2 in Canada; however, we do have access to it, the health care system will pay for your treatment and you can receive in Buffalo NY - I just do not know whether it is availabel to stage 3 patients or just stage 4 patients. Your on c can look into it for you and if you decide he will have to apply to the gov to ensure they will pay - our onc did it for Derek, he was accpeted (as I am sure you would be) and when and if he decides to do it it is there. The whole process took about a week or less.

I have had a look at your profile, and it reminds me of what happened withmy late wife. She also had a very deep primary, and was diagnosedin February 2007. Unfortunately, the new drugs that are aroundtoday weren't available at the time. We considered interferon, but rejectedit after doing a lot of reading and talking to a number of people abouttheir experiences and opinions.

I feel that these are some of the most promising options (depending oneligibility criteria):Yervoy (ipilimumab)BRAF and MEK inhibitorsGM-CSF (Leukine)OncoVexAdoptive cell therapy

As I might have mentioned before, it seems that one will need a combinationof treatments from the above list combined with surgery and/or radiotherapyto keep things under control.

I think that it is good that you are taking a "holistic approach and tryingto make my immune system as strong as I can". We also tried that sameapproach, but it did not help much because unfortunately melanoma is such adevious cancer.

Frank

I urge everyone to thoroughly educate themselves about melanoma. No part of this post should be considered to constitute any form of medical advice. Please consult a competent oncologist. (I think that prayer can help in ways that we don't always expect).